


Convalesce

by NikStrata



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, How do you tag lol, Non-Bender OC, OC has two moms, Zhao is a creep
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2020-11-01 05:34:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20809859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NikStrata/pseuds/NikStrata
Summary: After sneaking onto a Fire Navy ship and running to the Prince on board, Chun finds herself involved in the Hundred Year War.





	1. 水善: 1-1

**Author's Note:**

> It’s been a _hot_ minute since I’ve written fan fiction, and this first chapter may reflect that. My apologies.

Chun’s heart and mind fluttered nervously as thoughts of someone seeing her flooded her head. She had to make it aboard that ship if she wanted off this island, and luckily for her, the guards were on the opposite side of it, standing watch for the night.

With a smirk, she tied a red bandanna around the lower half of her face to help silence her breathing and got a running start. When she got close enough, she jumped and barely managed to grab onto the edge of the ship. _Please tell me no one heard that._ She waited a few seconds, listening for the sounds of footsteps from anyone approaching her location, and when she didn’t hear anyone, she started climbing the rest of the way on the ship.

Chun crept toward the hull of the ship, trying her hardest to keep her footsteps silent while still retaining a decent movement speed. Someone opened the door to the inner parts of the ship, causing her heart to leap in her chest as she flattened herself as much as she could against the wall behind it. When the crewman stepped out of the door, she quickly moved around the doorway and slipped inside.

Her heart started pounding against her chest, making it hard to focus. _There’s nowhere for me to hide._

She sucked in a deep breath in hopes of calming her pounding heart and easing her nerves. _You’re doing fine. No one’s found you yet. No one even knows you’re on the island._ Looking around, she noticed the walls were a deep red color—not that she should’ve been surprised considering the color scheme of the nation the ship belonged to.

Every few feet, there was a lit torch on the wall, and she considered grabbing one simply to ensure she’d have a constant light source but thought better of it. _If you have that, it might tip people off that you’re on here when you aren’t supposed to be._ Even if they don’t notice the light from the fire, they’d still notice a torch missing eventually.

She slowly and silently made her way further into the ship, keeping her ears and eyes open for anyone who might see or hear her. She made it a decent way into the guts of the ship when she finally heard several voices coming her way. Panic set in quickly as Chun looked around the small corridor and saw a metal door. She pushed the door open as quietly and quickly as she could before she closed it behind her, her breathing somewhat erratic and her heartbeat matching.

When she turned around, Chun saw that she’d opened the door to a bedroom. An occupied bedroom. She froze, hoping the man in the bed hadn’t heard her enter. When he didn’t move, she relaxed a little bit. _He must be a heavy sleeper._

She turned to the door, listening for signs that anyone was in the hallway. Just as she was about to open the door again, a hand grabbed her wrist. Chun yelped in surprise and moved to hit the hand away, only for another one to appear and take that one.

Chun threw a glance over her shoulder to look back at her captor, her heart rate skyrocketing as she saw him. She could see that he had a burn scar over his left eye that extended to his ear, and his head was shaven, save for a long ponytail of black hair.

“Who are you?” he asked her with a menacing glare as he spun her around to face him.

Chun was still in too much shock from someone catching her after being so careful to answer.

“What are you doing on my ship?” His glare darkened.

Chun swallowed the lump in her throat and struggled to sound calm. The anger in his eyes scared her. “I’m just trying to get—to get off the island,” she managed. “Please, I-I won’t cause any trouble, and—and I don’t care where you stop next, I’ll ju—I’ll just get off and you’ll never have to—you’ll never have to hear from me again. I promise.”

* * * *

Zuko’s glare lessened as he considered his options. He could throw her off the ship, leave her on the island. Or, he could take her with them and drop her off wherever they happened to stop next. Honestly, Zuko didn’t know whether to consider her a stowaway, which he didn’t tolerate on his ship, or a person in need of help, which he managed to tolerate, providing they didn’t take up much of the crew’s time.

After a few moments of consideration, he sighed tiredly and said, “Just keep quiet and you can leave when we stop for repairs.”

The Avatar, despite his young age, had done a number on his ship, and he needed to stop somewhere soon and get it repaired. The crew members had found things on the island they docked at to keep them afloat for a while, but they’d told Zuko it probably wouldn’t last more than a few days. And there was only one place he could go where he knew he’d get proper materials.

Home.

The Fire Nation.

He focused his attention on the girl in front of him. She seemed to be both from the Earth Kingdom—if her green eyes were any indication—and one of the Water Tribes—from the color of her skin and hair. He wondered how she’d gotten to the island. Was she left here by her parents? Was she a runaway of some sort?

Too tired to contemplate further, he turned to the door and motioned for her to follow. He led her down the halls of the ship until they reached a small, spare room, with little more than a mattress inside. “You can sleep in here.”

Zuko turned to leave when he felt a hand lightly grip his arm, causing him to freeze. “Thank you for doing,” he heard her whisper.

He gently removed her arm and left the room, going back to his own. Zuko sighed as he got back to bed, fighting the sudden restlessness he felt at having a woman aboard his ship. It took a while, but he eventually forced himself to sleep.

* * * *

The woman he’d allowed to stay held true to her word. Zuko wasn’t too sure she’d spoken at all since he’d left her in her small sleeping quarters. Though, he noticed that she seemed to do everything without too much noise—almost like a scared animal.

He was learning to keep an ear out for her quiet footfalls. She’d have little, if any, trouble sneaking away from the ship when they docked in the Fire Nation for repairs.

Zuko kept up with his training—spending most of his day on deck, learning different firebending techniques. He was sure he was improving as he could easily beat the other firebenders aboard the ship. Yes, he had to have been getting better. No matter how much his uncle disagreed and critiqued him.

It was the Island Girl’s third day on the ship that she decided to join his uncle in watching his training. After finishing one set, he paused.

“No!” Uncle Iroh yelled from his seat. “Firebending comes from the breath. Not the muscles. Drill it again!”

It was the same thing he’d said before they’d reached the South Pole. Drill it again. Zuko was starting to grow even more impatient with him. He almost snapped, when the Island Girl stood and walked over to them.

She started going through the motions of a firebender, but there was something different about what she did and what he’d done. She seemed to have more control over her small body, and despite the fact that she wasn’t firebending, Zuko felt that she could start at any moment.

When she finished, she turned to him. “You have the movements down, but your uncle is right. You need to learn to breathe through the movements. Before you start bending, you must master breathing—especially with firebending, considering how uncontrollable the flames can get. Drill it again.”

Zuko stared at her, wondering where she’d learned to move like that. And, did she really just repeat Uncle Iroh? She’d said to do it again, but did she mean against her or something?

She moved off to the side and nodded for him to start. When he did, she started yelling at him to breathe during certain moves, which threw him off and ended up with him landing painfully on the metal deck.

When Zuko got up, he glared at her. “Stop telling me how to firebend! I don’t need advice from a little non-bending girl like you!”

The Island Girl glared at him, stamped her foot, and turned away from him so quickly that her hair felt almost like a whip against him. He heard her grumbling something under her breath as she retreated into the guts of the ship.

Uncle Iroh shook his head at him. “That’s no way for a young man to talk to a young woman, Prince Zuko. Chun was only offering advice.”

Zuko rolled his eyes and went back to training, silently keeping her name in mind. It bothered him, how she moved. She hadn’t shown any sign of being a bender at all, and yet, he felt like she could easily be a firebender. Maybe what she—and his uncle—said was worth a try.


	2. 水善: 1-2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An entire chapter in Zuko's POV
> 
> Takes place during Season 1, Episode 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter wasn't beta-read

Zuko lead his uncle off the ship after they docked in the Fire Nation. “Uncle, I want the repairs made as quickly as possible. I don’t wanna stay too long and risk losing his trail.”

“You mean the Avatar?”

Zuko turned back to face his uncle. “Don’t mention his name on these docks. Once word gets out that he’s alive, every firebender will be out looking for him, and I don’t want anyone getting in the way.”

“Getting in the way of _what_, Prince Zuko?” a new voice interjected.

Zuko turned towards the newcomer, seeing a familiar face. The man stepped confidently toward them; his arms folded behind his back. “Captain Zhao,” he acknowledged.

“It’s Commander, now.” Zhao corrected, turning his attention to Zuko’s uncle, “And General Iroh,” he bowed to the man, “great hero of our nation.”

Iroh bowed back. “Retired General,” he amended gently.

“The Fire Lord’s brother and son are welcome guests anytime. What brings you to my harbor?” Commander Zhao asked.

Zuko stole a glance to his uncle. They couldn’t tell Zhao about the Avatar doing all the damage to his ship unless they wanted a lot more competition in finding him. They had to come up with a lie—quickly.

“Our ship is being repaired,” Iroh said, pointing to the ship.

“That’s quite a bit of damage. But I see you’ve attempted to make repairs on your own.”

Zuko’s thoughts went to Chun and her island. She was still inside the ship, waiting for a chance to slip away. He’d instructed his men to assist her to ensure she’d be able to get off without anyone noticing. Their plan became a little more difficult now that Commander Zhao was involved, but Zuko was sure they’d be able to get her away without incident.

“Yes,” Zuko agreed. “You wouldn’t believe what happened.” He stole a glance to his uncle. “Uncle, tell Commander Zhao what happened.”

“Yes, I will do that.” Iroh put a hand on his chin, thinking for a moment. “It was incredible.” He leaned towards Zuko, muttering, “What, did we crash or something?”

Zuko went along with it. “Yes! Right into… an Earth Kingdom ship!”

“Really?” Zhao asked. From his tone, Zuko could tell he hadn’t fallen for their lie. “You must regale me with all the _thrilling_ details.” His gaze turned from the duo to the ship, sharply, as if he’d seen something that wasn’t supposed to be there out of the corner of his eye.

Zuko got Zhao’s attention back to him, scuffling his feet against the floor. The man leaned forward, into Zuko’s personal space. “Join me for a drink?”

“Sorry, but we have to go,” Zuko said, turning away from him. Uncle Iroh set a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

“Prince Zuko,” he said, “show Commander Zhao your respect.” Iroh turned to look up at Zhao. “We would be honored to join you.”

That got Zuko’s attention. What was his uncle up to? They didn’t need to stay for a drink, they needed to get their ship repaired, get Chun off it, and then start attempting to capture the Avatar again. They didn’t have time to stop for tea.

“Do you have any ginseng tea? It’s my favorite.” Uncle Iroh and Commander Zhao started making their way off the harbor as Zuko let out a grunt of frustration, stomping after them with fire coming from his fists.

* * * *

“… And by year’s end, the Earth Kingdom capital will be under our rule. The Fire Lord will _finally_ claim victory in this war.” Zhao was saying as Zuko studied a map in front of him.

“If my father thinks the rest of the world will follow him willingly, then he is a fool.”

Zhao took the seat next to Zuko as Iroh studied the weapons rack beside the map. “Two years at sea have done little to temper your tongue. So, how’s your search for the Avatar going?”

The weapons fell off the rack, distracting Zhao long enough for Zuko to come up with another lie. “We haven’t found him yet.”

“Do you really expect to?” Zhao turned back to Zuko. “The Avatar died a hundred years ago, along with the rest of the airbenders.”

Zuko briefly frowned, not meeting his eyes. Zhao must’ve noticed, because he smirked and added, “Unless you found some evidence that the Avatar is alive.”

“No. Nothing.” Zuko looked back to the map. He didn’t like how Zhao read people.

“Prince Zuko, the Avatar is the only one who can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war.” Zhao stood from his seat in disbelief and leaned towards Zuko. “If you have an _ounce_ of loyalty left, you’ll tell me what you found.”

“I haven’t _found_ anything. It’s like you said—the Avatar probably died a long time ago.” Zuko stood from his chair and started for the exit of the tent. “Come on, Uncle. We’re going.”

When he got to the tent flap, the guards crossed their spears to keep them from leaving as a third soldier entered the tent. Zuko glared at them, but they didn’t react. “Commander Zhao,” the third soldier addressed, “we interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed Prince Zuko had the Avatar in custody but let him escape.”

Zuko could practically hear Zhao smirking as he stepped toward him. “Now, remind me… How _exactly_ was your ship damaged?”

* * * *

Zuko glanced to Chun, with her wrists bound behind her back, on the floor in front of him. Zhao’s men found her while interrogating his crew about where they’d stopped to make “repairs.”

The Commander paced in front of them, throwing his own glances to Chun often enough that it bothered Zuko to have to watch it, as he recalled what Zuko reluctantly told him. “So, a twelve-year-old boy bested you and your firebenders. You’re even more pathetic than I thought.”

“I underestimated him once, but it will _not_ happen again,” Zuko swore, more to himself than Zhao.

“No, it will not. Because you won’t have a second chance.”

“Commander Zhao, I’ve been hunting the Avatar for two years and I—”

“—And you failed!” Zhao swung his fist, an arc of fire following. “Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager’s hands. He’s _mine_, now!”

Zuko glared and started from his seat, the guards on either side of his chair grabbing his arms to stop him from attacking the man. Chun chose that moment to fenagle her wrists out of the rope that bound them. If Zhao noticed—and Zuko was sure he did—he didn’t say anything.

“Keep them here,” Zhao said as he left the tent.

Zuko kicked the table holding a tea pot, flipping it over.

“More tea, please,” Iroh requested, looking to the guards holding Zuko back.

Chun stood and turned to the guards. “You can release him. He won’t cause any more trouble now that the Commander is gone. I promise.”

Zuko realized it was the first time she’d spoken since they’d brought her into the tent. He wasn’t sure how they’d found her—if it was a mistake made by his crew, or if he’d overestimated her ability to sneak off the ship—but when the guards let him go, he found that he didn’t honestly care as he sat back down. He made a mental note to ask her once he settled everything here.

That thought gave him pause. Why did he want to know how they caught her? She was a stowaway—one who’d swore to him she’d leave after they docked. Zuko mentally sighed and decided that when Zhao came back, he’d ask why they’d bothered to capture her at all.

* * * *

When Zhao returned to the tent, Zuko didn’t get a chance to ask about why they’d taken Chun, though he could also tell by the glances the man still cast her way that he wouldn’t like the answer if he heard it. The looks he gave were too lecherous for him to not understand them; the thought made him sick.

It also, again, made him wonder why he cared. He didn’t know her—she was just someone who they happened upon along the way to catch the Avatar. He decided it was simple curiosity and forced himself to let it go. If it came up in conversation, that was one thing, but he’d waste no more time thinking about it.

Instead of settling things peacefully, Zuko provoked him. It was a simple question—wondering why Zhao would let them go once he set out to sea. The conversation evolved from there, ending with Zuko challenging Zhao to an Agni Kai at sunset.

Zhao accepted his challenge. “It’s a shame your father won’t be here to watch me humiliate you. I guess your uncle will do.” He turned to leave the tent and stopped at the open tent flap. “By the way, if I win…” he threw one last lecherous glance at Chun, who stood behind Uncle Iroh, “the girl stays.”

He heard a slight gasp from behind him. Something about that disturbed Zuko as Zhao finally left. He didn’t turn to see her reaction, but he didn’t have to to know that she was probably going to try to escape before sunset came.

* * * *

Chun tried to escape multiple times before the Agni Kai. She went from walking out of the tent through the flap—which failed immediately as guards dragged her back in and rebound her wrists—to exiting through the back of the tent by lifting it and making a mad dash through the docks—which failed because she tripped and couldn’t get back up in time. She’d even tried to fight the guards, which resulted in the binding of her ankles after she narrowly missed kicking one in the face.

It was only after Iroh promised they wouldn’t let Zhao take her that she settled down. He gave Zuko a meaningful look, and Zuko nodded in response. He’d rather take her with him to search for the Avatar than let Zhao have her—especially after seeing how persistent she was about not going with him.

It was sunset. Time for the Agni Kai.

Zuko and Zhao dressed traditionally, neither of them in any sort of armor, and kneeled several yards away from each other.

“Remember your firebending basics, Prince Zuko. They are your greatest weapons,” Iroh told him.

Chun kept her weary gaze on Zhao as she muttered, “Remember your breathing. Bending is more than just muscle movement.”

“I refuse to let him win.” Zuko stood and turned to face Zhao.

Zhao turned to face Zuko. “This will be over quickly.”

A guard hit a gong as the men got into similar fighting stances. Zuko moved first, sending streams of fire to Zhao, which he easily dodged. Zuko was panting when he began a second wave of attacks, which Zhao countered with his own firebending.

“Basics, Zuko. Break his root!” Iroh shouted.

Zhao began to attack, sending powerful bursts of fire that knocked Zuko back even while deflecting them. After one particularly powerful blast, Zuko found himself on his back. He groaned as Zhao jumped towards and sent a stream of fire in his direction that guaranteed him the win.

Zuko still wasn’t sure how he’d managed to avoid it. Or sweep Zhao’s foot out from under him. Either way, he ended up on his feet again, a confident smirk on his face as he looked down at the Commander.

Zhao quickly regained his balance, though seemed unprepared for when Zuko started sending small waves of fire from his feet given how he stumbled away. He kept going until they were on Zhao’s side of the battlefield and Zhao was rolling on his back.

Zuko moved to stand over him, poised to strike again—to finish up the match.

“Do it!” Zhao challenged.

Fire burst from Zuko’s fist as he ended the match.

“That’s it?” Zhao demanded, a dark spot from Zuko’s fire a few inches from his head. “Your father raised a coward.”

“Next time you get in my way, I promise, I won’t hold back.” Zuko turned and started walking back to Iroh and Chun.

What he didn’t expect was for Chun to sprint past him. Zuko turned in time to see her duck out of the way of Zhao’s firebending before sending a powerful kick to his jaw, sending him back several feet.

Zuko started for Zhao again, Iroh holding him back. “No, Prince Zuko. Do not taint your victory.” Iroh turned to Zhao as Chun dropped her stance and moved to stand behind Zuko. “So this is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat? Disgraceful. Even in exile, my nephew is more honorable than you. Thanks again for the tea. It was delicious.”

As they left the arena, Zuko glanced to Iroh. “Did you really mean that, Uncle?”

“Of course. I told you ginseng tea is my favorite.”

As they walked back towards the newly repaired ship, Iroh invited Chun to come with them.

“I would, but I told the Prince that—”

Zuko interrupted her. “Come with us. We could use more hands on the ship. Especially if I want to capture _him_.”

* * * *

They were several days out at sea when Zuko finally got around to asking Chun how Zhao’s men captured her. It was late into the night and the sounds of the ocean gave a peaceful atmosphere as they stood on the deck.

Chun leaned against the railing, her eyes shifting from green to blue as she turned to look at the moon above them. “Well, I actually made it off the ship and was trying to find an escape route to get farther away when one of them spotted me and gave chase. The only reason they caught me was because I ran into another soldier as I rounded a corner.”

She muttered something about scaling a building if it ever happened again before shaking her head and turning to him. “I… never thanked you for winning that match, did I? Thanks for that. I, um… He just—he really creeped me out, and I’m really glad you beat him—even more glad you decided I could stay with you guys. Thanks for that, too,” she bowed to him.

Zuko didn’t really know what to say to that. He just wanted to make sure Zhao wouldn’t interfere with his plans of capturing the Avatar and returning home. Keeping a somewhat frail-seeming woman away from him was more of a bonus than an actual part of his plan.

Zuko settled for a “You’re welcome” and wished her a good night as they retreated into the guts of the ship to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zuko probably knows how he did what he did, but I don't, so I didn't describe it  
He did the spinny-sweep-the-feet thing


	3. A Note

Okay, so I've decided to rewrite this fic to make it better.

I've done more research on social isolation, and the affects it has on the mind, when I went back to read over what I'd written, I found that I didn't like it.

I would say that the first chapter will be ready soon, but I only have like three paragraphs and Inattentive ADHD, so that may not be the case.

Just wanted to let you guys know that the rewritten version will (hopefully) be better than what this one is, and why I haven't updated for several months.

**Author's Note:**

> Beta read by **CosmicTriangle**


End file.
